By Mary Margaret Stewart, contributor 

Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward Fall Festival (OFWFF) – an event “that embraces the spirit and culture of the Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade” – will return on Sept. 9.

The festival will be held near the Old Fourth Ward Skate Park along the Beltline. The address is 830 Willoughby Way, Atlanta. The festival’s website says, “Be aware that there is no automobile parking along this road – we encourage accessibility by way of the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail.”

The Festival Hours are Sept. 9 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sept. 10 from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.

OFWFF is a precursor the parade, which will be held on the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail at 8:15 p.m. on Sept. 10. Last year, more than 60,000 people marched while carrying homemade lanterns from Krog Street Market to Piedmont Park, the Atlanta BeltLine’s website says.

According to the Atlanta BeltLine website, during the parade, “Irwin Street will be closed to vehicles from between Krog Street and Randolph Street from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.” Marchers are encouraged to line up at 7:15 p.m. at Irwin Street.

“After walking the 2-mile Eastside Trail, the parade will guide into the green at Piedmont Park, ending two miles from the starting point,” the event listing on the Atlanta BeltLine website says.

The night of Sept. 9 will feature food and beverage options such as Atlanta’s popular food trucks and alcohol vendors. Attendees can look forward to live music, games, artist-led lantern-making stations, “a Lantern Parade viewing party” and more activities halfway through the parade.

Families are welcomed. There’s a designated space for kids to play and an area for pets.

On Sept. 10 thousands will gather at Irwin Street for the parade, which is described as,“a procession of light, music and color,” spanning across the entire stretch of the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. This fairly new tradition, started in 2010, is a free event that has grown to include tailgating along the parade’s trek.

For more information, visit: http://beltline.org/events/old-fourth-ward-fall-fest/ and http://oldfourthwardfallfest.com/